Sheet-feeding mechanism



R. HITCHCOCK. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM.

, APPLICATiON FILED JULY 3.1929.

Patented June 13, 1922.

2 SHEETSSHEET I.

' R. HITCHCOCK. SHEET FEEDING MECHANISM.

APRLICATILH FILED JULY 3.1920.

Patented June 13, 1922 2 SHEETVSSHEET 2.

PATET OFF] REUBENI-IITGHCOCK, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE CLEVELAND FOLDING- MACHINE COMPANY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO A CORLPORATION OF" OHIO.

' SHEET-FEEDING MECHANISM.

Feeding Mechanism, of which the following is a specification. Y

My lnvention relates to improvements in sheet-feeding" mechanism and more particularly to the means for adjusting and presenting the sheets to the rotary feeding member or members, whereby they are individually fed to any suitable associated mechanism, such as a folding'machine, printing press,

pasting machine, and the hke.

- fed Accordingly,-I have devised-certain im-, provements hereinafter explained, whereby the feeding action-maybe rendereddependv My improvements primarily are applicable to a machine depending upon two resiliently faced rolls or members, one or both of which may be rotated to impel the uppermost sheet of a -stack andj efl"ect successively the individual feeding thereof, sheet by l sheet. It is found in practice that theaction of such feeding rolls di'flers'widely in operating upon various classes and sizes of paper stock, so that, upon changing from one 'job.

to another, the paper may stall or may be veral sheets at 'a.t ime.

able and accurate, through the proper positioning of the'parts and the adjustment of the various members of the sheet-feeding mechanism. Thus I have. provided an in-' clined supporting plate adjacent to the feedlng-rolls, whereon the edges of the sheets in- .itia'lly bear, and in association-therewith'l' 40 preferably employ an adjustable supporting table for the sheets which, in turn, is formed of individually adjustablesections.

The features of my said inventionmay be best explained by making reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred embodiment thereof, wherein:

Figure l is a viewin side elevation, par-' tially broken away, showing the sheet-feedin mechanism and a portion of an associated deivery table. Fig. 2- is a cross sectional view through the adjustable v supporting table. Fig. 3 is a fragmentary'.view illustrating the adjusting rack and Pinion in longitudinal section of the frame. Flg. 4- 1s a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed my 3, 1920. Serial no. 393,872. I

similar view thereof in cross section of the showing thereof and Fig. 9 is a fragmentary view in side elevation illustrating the opposite side of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

, Throughout the several figures of the" drawings I .have employed the same character of reference to indicate similar parts.

Referring first to Fig. 1, the frame a is seen to support a sectional and adjustable supporting table 1), comprising some five transversely pivotedsections b, 6", b 6 and 5 Each section 15 provided with correspondin racks and gears for-effecting their adjustment, as racks c pivoted at their upper ends to the'rear portion of a supporting table section, their actuating gears c. and associatedpawls c. A hand wheel 03 provided at each side of the frame at the ends of connectingishaftd, which also mounts the corresponding pinions c, affords ready means for adjusting the height ofth'e associated table section. 1

'Positionedin a loweradjacent plane with respect -to the forward section b is a trans- .verse plate orseparator eand immediately in, front thereof are mounted the feeding rolls 7, f. These r olls, as best shown in Fig. 8, may.,be adjusted transversely of the machine upon their respectiveshafts g, g,

to suit thecharacter ofwork in hand and,-

particularly, the size of sheets being fed thereby.

4 These feeding rolls may be driven by the train of, ears, h, h and h, Fig. 9 in opposite direc ions, or the lowerroll may be held against rotation and thus employed as a resilient member, against which the upper roll operates to advanc'ejthe sheets of paper'to the delivery table, comprising the diagonally positioned set of horizontal rollers 71.

. Except when a glazed paper stock is being fed by the machine, it has been found -desirable to employ only one rotated roll 7 for feeding the paper, while the lower roll is held against rotation by the means delineated in Fig. 7. The shaft 9' has the alterna- ',.ing' train for reversely rotating the roll f,

or of Figs. 7 and 8, when a tooth of said gear i2, is engaged by the detent of the arm'j I which is spring-actuated. on its pivoting stud B referrin to Fi 8 it isseelr i b D 7 that the shaft 9 has been laterally actuated sufficiently to disengage the gear it from its driving train. Under these circumstances, the lower roll must remain stationary, but it may be rotated manually as the adhesive rubber faces thereon are subject to wear, so that a new portion of the roll may be brought'into position for use, from time to time. Both of the feeding-rolls are provided with these slightly adhesive faces of soft rubber, which may be renewed from time to time, and on which the mechanism depends for advancing the sheets one at a time from the supporting table to the delivery table.

Turning now to Fig. 5, the theory and advantages of operation of my improved feeding mechanism may now be briefly explained. This figure of the drawings is intended as a diagrammatic representation of the essential portions of the device in the course of feeding a stack of paper stock In,

sheet by sheet, to some associated mechanism not shown in the figure, but understood to be at the right of the circles f, 7" indicating the feeding rolls. I

First, it will be observed that the sections of the supporting table are-so adjusted as to alford a break in the length of the supported sheets, about midway thereof. The front edges of the sheets are fanned out so that they partly hang from the forward edge of the front section b and rest upon the inclined plate 6 with their forward edges slightly displaced and the topmost sheet positioned to enter between the feeding rolls. The supportingitable, as a whole, is sufficiently inclined to cause the'sheets, if

" otherwise unsupported, to have a tendency to slide downward. This tendency obvi-' ously would cause the sheets to feed through the rolls a plurality at a time, or even to stall the machine,'unless suitable provisions were made to "avoid the same.

Thus the inclined plate 6 affords a drop for the forward portions of the sheets on which the edges are fanned out and supported against this sliding tendency suiiiciently to counteract all but the pressure necessary to' engage the topmost sheet with the feeding roll or rolls and enter ittherebetween. The upper roll 7 is rotated in a counter-clockwise direction, while the lower roll f ordinarily is maintained against rotation, but, with certain classes of paper stock, it may be rotated in a reverse direction to assist in separately feeding the sheets.

ward edge of the supporting table to be ad justed with respect to the frame, the plate 6 and the rolls f, 'f. This is effected by means of the screws Z, Z, as shown in Figs. 1 and 9, so that the proper inclination and terminal drop of the sheets may be carefully regulated in accordance with the character and weight of the paper stock and the sizes of the sheets currently operatedupon.

VV hen the topmost sheet has been entered between the rolls f, f, it-will receive an initial impulse or twitch toward the right,

which will serve to-loosen or separate it from the remainingsheet across the area of the V-shaped supporting sections intermediately of thetable. Accordingly, the sheet in question is free to pass between the rolls, while the remaining sheets are not affected by its movement. When said sheet has completely cleared the rolls, however, the one next beneath it will become engaged with the soft adhesive surface of the roll 7, and it, together with the remaining sheets in turn, will. bef'ed singly between these rolls; the fanned out forward edges of said sheets slipping readily along the inclined plate a into position, to be operated upon one at a time. j

It is very important in' a mechanism of this character that ample adjustment shall be afforded for the members of the support 'ing table with respect to'the forwardly p0 sitioned plate 6, with respect to the feeding rolls and with each other, inasmuch asdifferent classes of paper stock and different sizes of sheets Iequirea nicety'of handling and of presentation to the rolls, in order to insure individual feeding.

My improved sheet-feeding machine affords every necessaryanddesirable adjustment, whereby Very rapid and accurate feeding of all classes of paper stock and all sizes of sheets, within the range of the machine, may be maintained under average commercial conditions.

Having now' described the preferred embodiment of my invention, I claim as new and desire to secureby Letters Patent,'together wit such modifications as may. be

the following:

2. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, the com bination with feeding rolls, of 'a sheet-supporting table coacting with, and positioned generally in a plane above and to the rear -made by 0 e ordinarily skilled in the art,

bination- .with a supporting pivotall of said rolls; the same comprising a plurality of independently adjustable sections related, a separator member; and

means or supporting said sections'in .va

rious angular relations with respect to each other, substantially as set forth.

3. In asheet-feeding mechanism, the'comsheet supporting table comprising a "p11 rality of sections independently carried by said frame, adjusting means associated each to'eachlwith said sections, adapted to vary their angular relation, coacting feeding rolls and an abutment for the edges of the sheets positioned adjacent to said rolls forwardly of the supporting table and below the same, substantially as set forth.

4. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, the combination with reversely actuated paired feeding rolls, of a sheet-supporting table p0- sitioned rearwardly' and above said rolls means for adjusting the angular positionof the table,'and an abutment for the forward edges of the sheets positioned adjacent to' the plane of contactof the feeding rolls, substantially as set forth." q 5. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, the com- I bination with ,"reverselyactuated fpa'ired feeding rolls-,of a sheet-supporting table positioned rearwardly andabove said rolls,

- comprising independently adjustable sectionsfineans for supporting said sections in varying angular relation With'respect to eac o er and to the rolls, and an abutment for the forward edges of the sheets posi- "tioned adjacent to the plane-of their contact with the-feeding rolls, substantially as setforth 6. Ina sheet-feedingmechanism,the combination' with paired feeding rolls, bf a sheet-supporting table positioned wardlyand above said rolls; the same comprisinga plurality of independently adjust able section's, adjustingmeans associated each to 'each'with said sections whereby their angular positionmay be varied, and an abutment for the edges of the sheets disposed adj acent to the feeding rolls, substantially as set forth,

a 7. In a" sheetfeeding mechanism, the

bination with paired feeding parts, of. an

associated separator" me ber,- a sheet-supporting table associated'with said'parts the same. comprising a plurality of kindependently adjustable sections positioned to afford interrupted, support for the sheets and means for independently adjusting said set:- tlons, substantially as set forth.

8. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, the combination with paired feeding rolls, of av sheet-supporting table positioned rearwardly of said rolls; the same comprising a .plurality of adjustable sections disposed to afiord interrupted supportfor the sheets,

adjusting means associated with said secframe, of arear tions, and an abutment for the edes of the sheets positioned intermediately o the supporting table and feeding rolls, substantially as'set'forth. b 1 v 9. In a sheet-feeding mechanism, the com bination with co-acti ng feeding members, of a' sheet-supporting table positioned rears wardly thereof, means, for adjustably inclining said table towards the feeding members, and an intermediate abutment. positioned at a distance below said sheet-supportingstable adapted to support the-forward edges of the sheets in proximity to said members, substantially as set forth.

cliniid sheet-supporting table (positioned above and to the rear thereof, and an inclined'edge-supporting plate associated with the roll approximately. in its feeding plane and spaced below'the forward edge of the supportable table, substantially asset forth. 11,;In a sheetrfeeding mechanism, the combination with feeding means, of a sheet supporting, table positioned above and rear:

combination with paired feeding rolls, of

means for detaining" one'of said rolls, andalternative means'for driving itin cooperation with the opposing roll, substantially as- .set.forth.

- "14. .In a sheet-feeding 'mechanism, the combination with paired feeding rolls hav- 10. In a, sheet-feeding mechanism, the combination with a -feeding roll, of an in'-- anism, the

ingresilient operative faces, means for rotating said rolls in cooperative relation, and

alternative means for withholding one of said rolls against rotation, substantially as Set forth. 7 i i '15. In a sheet feeding mechanism, the combination with feeding means, of a separator member, an associated sheet-supporting table comprising a plurality of adjustable sections, and means for adjustably sup porting said sections in variableloperative positions with respect toeach other and to said means, a substantially as set forth.

. '16. In a sheetrfeeding' mechanism, the combination with opposing. paired feeding rolls, of means for checking 'thefirotation, of one of said rolls to maintain it stationary in a plurality of positions, and further adjacent to the detained roll for effecting the feed of successive sheets, substantially as set forth.

18. In e, sheet-feeding mechanism; the.

emes combination With the feeding members, of means for efiecting theiropemtion upon successive sheets, an edge-supporting pert directly assogieted'with said members adapted "to serve as. a separator, and an adjustable sheet-supnoiting table comprising a plum ity of independently adjustable sections po sitioned to afford ain uneven oi linearly broke-n support for the sheets, substantially asset forth.

. In testimony whereof I do now affix my 25 signature.

REUBEN nnveneoen. 

